Guest Post by Hardscrabble Farmer
“Only the flexible survive.” – LTC “Mad Jack” Hamilton
I have been fortunate enough to have been both at the bottom and the top of the modern American food chain at one point or another during the course of my lifetime. I know what it’s like to be so poor that I didn’t know where my next meal was coming from and to earn so much that I had trouble finding places to put it or things to spend it on. Neither of those extremes were the kinds of places I found comfort in, but they gave me enough experience to be able to accommodate myself to any financial situation.
Truth be told the best place- for me- has always been the one with not enough money to get into trouble, but enough to meet the exigencies of day to day life. I have learned that it is far better to wait until you are able to purchase something outright than to buy on credit, that you can always do better for yourself when you invest in yourself rather than others, when you try to do for yourself what you would normally pay others to do. There is no greater insurance policy in life than children well raised, no greater asset than a close family and no better return on any investment than time spent doing your level best for others.
We have been conditioned to think of life as an economic condition- that you must be able to provide a specific monetary level to account for the days of your life. Life is not about money, it is about the way you move from birth to death; whether to be honest or deceitful, trustworthy or duplicitous, industrious or indolent, ignorant or striving for wisdom. It is possible- particularly in our current era- to avoid the silence where you listen to your inner self and its directions, through mind altering drugs, entertainment, status whoring, prestige seeking, credentialism, conspicuous consumption, etc.
Make no mistake, there is an account that will be paid, a debt that must made good on a level that no amount of money can pay off and that is what you think of yourself at the end of your life. For those who live a deliberately introspective life it happens daily, like buying a day pass to a fun park and you ask yourself at the end “Did I get good value for the cost?”
I understand that we must live in the world, that we are obligated through threat of imprisonment to contribute a portion of our sweat and labor to a system that reviles and denigrates us, but just as we are obligated to endure bad weather, physical pain and injury, loss of loved ones, catastrophe and failure, it is not personal, but rather an integral part of the human condition. What we are not obligated to do is to intentionally invest ourselves in perpetuating that system.
Decide what level of discomfort and imposition you are willing to accept and give no more than that. If the cutoff for federal income taxes are x, earn not one dollar more and with every spare hour of your labor and time invest in doing for others and building human capital. Rather than using pharmaceuticals to help you deal with the stresses of the day, assiduously inquire of yourself the root causes and eliminate them from your life.
We have allowed, for too long now, others to define us by what we say, what we own, where we went to school, what we earn, or drive or where we live. We not only accept these labels, but enslave ourselves to them without benefit. There is nothing that prevents us from from learning to define ourselves. I would rather be known as a good father than a rich man, or a loyal husband than corporate head man. One provides an economic reward the other does not, but in terms of true value almost no one would disagree with which choice would be preferable when you lay upon your death bed.
What I see here, what I have grokked since the day I discovered Jim’s writing, is that I am not alone. I see the world as it is far more than the average American because I am looking for something of value. The majority of the people who respond here appear to be similarly inclined. They know when they are being lied to and when something is seriously amiss, not just in the arrangement of numbers or the interpretation of statistics, but in the deeper fabric of reality.
Economics isn’t just about money, it’s about how we decide to trade our limited time on this Earth for a specific value. Those values-whether a brand new car or happy child- are for us to assign, based on our own expectations and desires and in that we should be free to choose and to pursue. What others think, what society champions from day to day does not have to determine our course, nor should it.
Like the guys at Zero Hedge so eloquently state, on a long enough timeline the survival rate is zero. Make your timeline worthy of the investment.
As always, appreciated every word of the article from HSF. I do have little experience of what HSF says here. At one point of my life I was informed I would be submitted to brain surgery the next morning and I was not expected to survive. I learned that at this time in every ones life, each of us will have to asses the true value of the lives we have lead.
I was fortunate enough to survive that and two more brain surgeries without major consequence. However since those days I have always looked at and lived my life for the true value of life to me. I think that is all that I can do to not be dissatisfied when that assessment has to be made again.
Sage advice HSF…I no longer do anymore than I absolutely have to to get by… and for any interested Arron Clarey wrote an entire book on how to enjoy the decline..well worth the read especially for the hero generation.
Enjoy the Decline: Accepting and Living with the Death of the United States Paperback – January 7, 2013
The “End of America?” Most likely. The “Demise of liberty?” You betcha! The “Destruction of Western Civilization?” Of course! But why let all of the above get you down? Learn to “Enjoy the Decline!” “Enjoy the Decline” is mandatory reading for all conservatives, libertarians, Americans, and lovers of freedom who are mourning the slow, but sure death of their culture and their country. America is over. Freedom will be curtailed. Liberty is dead. And above all else, it is inevitable. But the answer is not to get depressed and give up hope. The answer is to change your attitude and learn how to “Enjoy the Decline.” You get one life on this planet and Aaron Clarey explains how to get the most out of it even though socialism and tyranny are all around you. From learning how to adapt your psychology to learning to let go and take advantage of the socialist system, “Enjoy the Decline” carries the freedom loving American through the 5 stages of grief and puts them on a path to enjoy their life regardless of what is happening to their beloved America. Dark, macabre, and morose, but truthful, helpful, and practical all the same, it is guaranteed to make you happier than your socialist counterparts even though they have everything they want. Make leftists, liberals, and progressives miserable. Enjoy the Decline!
In the final balance, you either produce at least as much as you consume during your life or you take the difference between what you consumed and what you produced away from someone who produced it and use it to support your own life.
That’s really the only thing you need to understand about economics, and politics stems from this in one way or another.
Reality bites ass..
[img
:large[/img]
Hardscrabble, Although likely not as extreme as you, I have been high enough and low enough on the food chain to have come to the same conclusions and attitude changes you have. Thank you for stating it so eloquently!
“If the cutoff for federal income taxes are x, earn not one dollar more and with every spare hour of your labor and time invest in doing for others and building human capital.”
That line got me thinking about what I can give back here. I’ve gained a lot of insight from this website, so it’s only fair.
Some years ago, I was forced to deal with a health issue that seriously threatened my quality of life. As a silver lining, I became fascinated with health and while I wouldn’t consider myself an expert, I’ve learned a lot. Over time I’ve developed some habits that allowed me to live a healthy lifestyle with minimal effort. I think that most people are interested in being healthy, but the obstacles to attaining good health seem prohibitive. In reality, improving your health just requires a few tweaks here and there. The biggest problem is most people are misinformed by the majority of health professionals, and are given advice that can best be described as spinning wheels. If you’re interested, please allow me an opportunity to encourage you to live a more healthy lifestyle. Before I begin, legally I must state that this is for entertainment purposes only, and none of this constitutes health advice. Always consult a health professional.
The first goal I think most people should focus on is attaining a healthy weight. Obesity is a risk factor for multitudes of serious chronic conditions like type-2 diabetes, endocrine problems, cardiovascular disease, etc etc. Conventional wisdom encourages most people to avoid foods that are high in fat, which forces them to eat more high carbohydrate foods to make up the caloric deficit. The problem with this advice is that high carbohydrate foods often wreak havoc on your blood sugar, causing spikes and crashes which make you hungry often, driving you to eat more than your body requires. The “slow metabolism” excuse most people use is really just another word for a compromised insulin sensitivity due to a diet consisting of high glycemic carbohydrates.
I think the easiest way to lose weight is to stabilize your insulin sensitivity so that you’re not hungry as often. When you avoid high glycemic carbohydrates, your body begins to oxidize fat to produce the energy it needs, and the onset of hunger comes less frequently. This can be done by getting the majority of calories from fat, and increasing your fiber intake. Avoid sugars, especially from carbonated beverages, and keep carbohydrate intake down to 30g/carbs day. When you do eat carbohydrates, eat them alone or with protein and avoid eating them with fat as that will increase the rate of fat deposition. Use this website: http://www.health.harvard.edu/healthy-eating/glycemic_index_and_glycemic_load_for_100_foods to decide which foods are best. I would stick to foods that are below a glycemic index of 60 and glycemic load of 20, though glycemic load is more important. Avoid potatoes and pastas. Avoid eating snacks between meals, but if you do opt instead of a handful of nuts or a couple slices of cheese. Don’t eat chips, cookies or pretzels.
Some ideas for foods that are good to eat: vegetables sauteed in a fatty cooking oil like olive oil or coconut oil, meats, eggs, cheeses, beans, certain grains and nuts. Brown rice and yams are passable in moderation. It might sound like a lot of prep work, but there’s ways to make things easier. Most grocery stores sell pre-cooked whole rotisserie chickens for fairly cheap. You can buy frozen veggies, dump them in a bowl and nuke them. There’s easy crock pot recipes which you can cook while you’re asleep or at work, and they make ample portions which can be eaten throughout the week (sorry stucky). In the long run, it’s only a couple minutes each day, and you’ll be saving money on your medical bills and from not eating out as often.
I’ve got more to share, but I think that’s a good start for most people. If there’s enough interest, I will post up more.
HSF, Your words reflect the Wisdom I seek daily, and I am encouraged by what you have written here. It reminds me of one of my favorite passages from Romans, Chapter 12:
For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned….
Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality….
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all…. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
@HSF…That’s a great article, thanks for your contributions.
You know, when I first looked at the title, I thought it said “Investing In Human Cattle”. Now that would be an interesting turn of events for Mr. Farmer.
Thanks. 🙂
I used to think i was a fish out of water in this country until i found this site,Thank you HSF for your commentary it almost inspired me to share some of my story as this site has done often,But being the newbie that i am i will continue to read the insight that all you guys bring to the table.once again thank you.
Wordsmith.